Transferring a virtual object

ABSTRACT

In an exemplary process, a virtual object is displayed in an enhanced reality setting. A request to transfer the virtual object is received, wherein a determination is made whether a set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied. Movement of the virtual object away from an avatar is displayed in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied. Displaying movement includes determining whether a size of the virtual object satisfies a set of one or more size criteria. In accordance with a determination that the size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria, a reduction in the size of the virtual object is displayed. In accordance with a determination that the size of the virtual object does not satisfy the set of one or more size criteria, displaying of a reduction in the size of the virtual object is foregone.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of PCT Application PCT/US2019/052775,entitled “TRANSFERRING A VIRTUAL OBJECT IN AN ENHANCED REALITY SETTING,”filed on Sep. 24, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication 62/897,027, entitled “TRANSFERRING A VIRTUAL OBJECT IN ANENHANCED REALITY SETTING,” filed on Sep. 6, 2019, and to U.S.Provisional Patent Application 62/738,383, entitled “TRANSFERRING AVIRTUAL OBJECT IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT,” filed on Sep. 28, 2018, eachof which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates generally to enhanced reality, and morespecifically to techniques for transferring a virtual object in anenhanced reality setting.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventional enhanced reality environments may include representationsof avatars and virtual objects. A user associated with an avatar mayinteract with the virtual objects in various ways.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosures describes techniques for transferring a virtualobject in an enhanced reality setting. Virtual reality, mixed reality,and augmented reality environments provide a platform to enable users ofsuch systems to interact with each other. For example, a user maycontrol an avatar within the environment in order to interact withanother avatar in the environment. These environments further facilitatethe transfer of virtual objects between avatars. As these environmentscontinue to become more complex, facilitating a seamless transfer of avirtual object between avatars becomes more difficult. For example,transferring a large virtual object may obstruct the field of view of auser, causing user disorientation and resulting in the interruption ofthe virtual, augmented, or mixed reality experience. Accordingly, amethod and system for transferring a virtual object while providing anoptimal user experience is desired.

According to some embodiments, a virtual object is displayed in anenhanced reality setting. A request to transfer the virtual object isreceived, wherein in accordance with the request, a determination ismade whether a set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria issatisfied. In accordance with a determination that the set of one ormore virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied, movement of thevirtual object away from the avatar is displayed in the enhanced realitysetting. Displaying movement of the virtual object includes determiningwhether a size of the virtual object satisfies a set of one or more sizecriteria. In accordance with a determination that the size of thevirtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria, areduction in the size of the virtual object is displayed. In accordancewith a determination that the size of the virtual object does notsatisfy the set of one or more size criteria, displaying of a reductionin the size of the virtual object is foregone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIGS. 1A-1B depict exemplary systems for use in various computerenhanced reality technologies, including virtual reality and mixedreality.

FIGS. 2A-2D depict an exemplary transfer of a virtual object in anenhanced reality setting according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 3A-3D depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting from the perspective of a transferor according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 4A-4F depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting using virtual object size reduction according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 5A-5F depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting using virtual object size reduction from the perspective of atransferee according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 6A-6G depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting using virtual object size reduction according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 7A-7G depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting using virtual object size reduction from the perspective of atransferor according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary process for transferring a virtual object inan enhanced reality setting according to an embodiment.

DESCRIPTION

Various examples of electronic systems and techniques for using suchsystems in relation to various enhanced reality technologies aredescribed.

A physical setting refers to a world with which various persons cansense and/or interact without use of electronic systems. Physicalsettings, such as a physical park, include physical elements, such as,for example, physical wildlife, physical trees, and physical plants.Persons can directly sense and/or otherwise interact with the physicalsetting, for example, using one or more senses including sight, smell,touch, taste, and hearing.

An enhanced reality (ER) setting, in contrast to a physical setting,refers to an entirely (or partly) computer-produced setting that variouspersons, using an electronic system, can sense and/or otherwise interactwith. In ER, a person's movements are in part monitored, and, responsivethereto, at least one attribute corresponding to at least one virtualobject in the ER setting is changed in a manner that is consistent withone or more physical laws. For example, in response to an ER systemdetecting a person looking upward, the ER system may adjust variousaudio and graphics presented to the person in a manner consistent withhow such sounds and appearances would change in a physical setting.Adjustments to attribute(s) of virtual object(s) in an ER setting alsomay be made, for example, in response to representations of movement(e.g., voice commands).

A person may sense and/or interact with an ER object using one or moresenses, such as sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. For example, aperson may sense and/or interact with objects that create amulti-dimensional or spatial acoustic setting. Multi-dimensional orspatial acoustic settings provide a person with a perception of discreteacoustic sources in multi-dimensional space. Such objects may alsoenable acoustic transparency, which may selectively incorporate audiofrom a physical setting, either with or without computer-produced audio.In some ER settings, a person may sense and/or interact with onlyacoustic objects.

Virtual reality (VR) is one example of ER. A VR setting refers to anenhanced setting that is configured to only include computer-producedsensory inputs for one or more senses. A VR setting includes a pluralityof virtual objects that a person may sense and/or interact with. Aperson may sense and/or interact with virtual objects in the VR settingthrough a simulation of at least some of the person's actions within thecomputer-produced setting, and/or through a simulation of the person orher presence within the computer-produced setting.

Mixed reality (MR) is another example of ER. An MR setting refers to anenhanced setting that is configured to integrate computer-producedsensory inputs (e.g., virtual objects) with sensory inputs from thephysical setting, or a representation of sensory inputs from thephysical setting. On a reality spectrum, an MR setting is between, butdoes not include, a completely physical setting at one end and a VRsetting at the other end.

In some MR settings, computer-produced sensory inputs may be adjustedbased on changes to sensory inputs from the physical setting. Moreover,some electronic systems for presenting MR settings may detect locationand/or orientation with respect to the physical setting to enableinteraction between real objects (i.e., physical elements from thephysical setting or representations thereof) and virtual objects. Forexample, a system may detect movements and adjust computer-producedsensory inputs accordingly, so that, for example, a virtual tree appearsfixed with respect to a physical structure.

Augmented reality (AR) is an example of MR. An AR setting refers to anenhanced setting where one or more virtual objects are superimposed overa physical setting (or representation thereof). As an example, anelectronic system may include an opaque display and one or more imagingsensors for capturing video and/or images of a physical setting. Suchvideo and/or images may be representations of the physical setting, forexample. The video and/or images are combined with virtual objects,wherein the combination is then displayed on the opaque display. Thephysical setting may be viewed by a person, indirectly, via the imagesand/or video of the physical setting. The person may thus observe thevirtual objects superimposed over the physical setting. When a systemcaptures images of a physical setting, and displays an AR setting on anopaque display using the captured images, the displayed images arecalled a video pass-through. Alternatively, a transparent orsemi-transparent display may be included in an electronic system fordisplaying an AR setting, such that an individual may view the physicalsetting directly through the transparent or semi-transparent displays.Virtual objects may be displayed on the semi-transparent or transparentdisplay, such that an individual observes virtual objects superimposedover a physical setting. In yet another example, a projection system maybe utilized in order to project virtual objects onto a physical setting.For example, virtual objects may be projected on a physical surface, oras a holograph, such that an individual observes the virtual objectssuperimposed over the physical setting.

An AR setting also may refer to an enhanced setting in which arepresentation of a physical setting is modified by computer-producedsensory data. As an example, at least a portion of a representation of aphysical setting may be graphically modified (e.g., enlarged), so thatthe modified portion is still representative of (although not afully-reproduced version of) the originally captured image(s).Alternatively, in providing video pass-through, one or more sensorimages may be modified in order to impose a specific viewpoint differentthan a viewpoint captured by the image sensor(s). As another example,portions of a representation of a physical setting may be altered bygraphically obscuring or excluding the portions.

Augmented virtuality (AV) is another example of MR. An AV setting refersto an enhanced setting in which a virtual or computer-produced settingintegrates one or more sensory inputs from a physical setting. Suchsensory input(s) may include representations of one or morecharacteristics of a physical setting. A virtual object may, forexample, incorporate a color associated with a physical element capturedby imaging sensor(s). Alternatively, a virtual object may adoptcharacteristics consistent with, for example, current weather conditionscorresponding to a physical setting, such as weather conditionsidentified via imaging, online weather information, and/orweather-related sensors. As another example, an AR park may includevirtual structures, plants, and trees, although animals within the ARpark setting may include features accurately reproduced from images ofphysical animals.

Various systems allow persons to sense and/or interact with ER settings.For example, a head mounted system may include one or more speakers andan opaque display. As another example, an external display (e.g., asmartphone) may be incorporated within a head mounted system. The headmounted system may include microphones for capturing audio of a physicalsetting, and/or image sensors for capturing images/video of the physicalsetting. A transparent or semi-transparent display may also be includedin the head mounted system. The semi-transparent or transparent displaymay, for example, include a substrate through which light(representative of images) is directed to a person's eyes. The displaymay also incorporate LEDs, OLEDs, liquid crystal on silicon, a laserscanning light source, a digital light projector, or any combinationthereof. The substrate through which light is transmitted may be anoptical reflector, holographic substrate, light waveguide, opticalcombiner, or any combination thereof. The transparent orsemi-transparent display may, for example, transition selectivelybetween a transparent/semi-transparent state and an opaque state. Asanother example, the electronic system may be a projection-based system.In a projection-based system, retinal projection may be used to projectimages onto a person's retina. Alternatively, a projection-based systemalso may project virtual objects into a physical setting, for example,such as projecting virtual objects as a holograph or onto a physicalsurface. Other examples of ER systems include windows configured todisplay graphics, headphones, earphones, speaker arrangements, lensesconfigured to display graphics, heads up displays, automotivewindshields configured to display graphics, input mechanisms (e.g.,controllers with or without haptic functionality), desktop or laptopcomputers, tablets, or smartphones.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B depict exemplary system 100 for use in variousenhanced reality technologies.

In some examples, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, system 100 includes device100 a. Device 100 a includes various components, such as processor(s)102, RF circuitry(ies) 104, memory(ies) 106, image sensor(s) 108,orientation sensor(s) 110, microphone(s) 112, location sensor(s) 116,speaker(s) 118, display(s) 120, and touch-sensitive surface(s) 122.These components optionally communicate over communication bus(es) 150of device 100 a.

In some examples, elements of system 100 are implemented in a basestation device (e.g., a computing device, such as a remote server,mobile device, or laptop) and other elements of system 100 areimplemented in a second device (e.g., a head-mounted device). In someexamples, device 100 a is implemented in a base station device or asecond device.

As illustrated in FIG. 1B, in some examples, system 100 includes two (ormore) devices in communication, such as through a wired connection or awireless connection. First device 100 b (e.g., a base station device)includes processor(s) 102, RF circuitry(ies) 104, and memory(ies) 106.These components optionally communicate over communication bus(es) 150of device 100 b. Second device 100 c (e.g., a head-mounted device)includes various components, such as processor(s) 102, RF circuitry(ies)104, memory(ies) 106, image sensor(s) 108, orientation sensor(s) 110,microphone(s) 112, location sensor(s) 116, speaker(s) 118, display(s)120, and touch-sensitive surface(s) 122. These components optionallycommunicate over communication bus(es) 150 of device 100 c.

System 100 includes processor(s) 102 and memory(ies) 106. Processor(s)102 include one or more general processors, one or more graphicsprocessors, and/or one or more digital signal processors. In someexamples, memory(ies) 106 are one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable storage mediums (e.g., flash memory, random accessmemory) that store computer-readable instructions configured to beexecuted by processor(s) 102 to perform the techniques described below.

System 100 includes RF circuitry(ies) 104. RF circuitry(ies) 104optionally include circuitry for communicating with electronic devices,networks, such as the Internet, intranets, and/or a wireless network,such as cellular networks and wireless local area networks (LANs). RFcircuitry(ies) 104 optionally includes circuitry for communicating usingnear-field communication and/or short-range communication, such asBluetooth®.

System 100 includes display(s) 120. Display(s) 120 may have an opaquedisplay. Display(s) 120 may have a transparent or semi-transparentdisplay that may incorporate a substrate through which lightrepresentative of images is directed to an individual's eyes. Display(s)120 may incorporate LEDs, OLEDs, a digital light projector, a laserscanning light source, liquid crystal on silicon, or any combination ofthese technologies. The substrate through which the light is transmittedmay be a light waveguide, optical combiner, optical reflector,holographic substrate, or any combination of these substrates. In oneexample, the transparent or semi-transparent display may transitionselectively between an opaque state and a transparent orsemi-transparent state. Other examples of display(s) 120 include headsup displays, automotive windshields with the ability to displaygraphics, windows with the ability to display graphics, lenses with theability to display graphics, tablets, smartphones, and desktop or laptopcomputers. Alternatively, system 100 may be designed to receive anexternal display (e.g., a smartphone). In some examples, system 100 is aprojection-based system that uses retinal projection to project imagesonto an individual's retina or projects virtual objects into a physicalsetting (e.g., onto a physical surface or as a holograph).

In some examples, system 100 includes touch-sensitive surface(s) 122 forreceiving user inputs, such as tap inputs and swipe inputs. In someexamples, display(s) 120 and touch-sensitive surface(s) 122 formtouch-sensitive display(s).

System 100 includes image sensor(s) 108. Image sensors(s) 108 optionallyinclude one or more visible light image sensor, such as charged coupleddevice (CCD) sensors, and/or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS) sensors operable to obtain images of physical elements from thephysical setting. Image sensor(s) also optionally include one or moreinfrared (IR) sensor(s), such as a passive IR sensor or an active IRsensor, for detecting infrared light from the physical setting. Forexample, an active IR sensor includes an IR emitter, such as an IR dotemitter, for emitting infrared light into the physical setting. Imagesensor(s) 108 also optionally include one or more event camera(s)configured to capture movement of physical elements in the physicalsetting. Image sensor(s) 108 also optionally include one or more depthsensor(s) configured to detect the distance of physical elements fromsystem 100. In some examples, system 100 uses CCD sensors, eventcameras, and depth sensors in combination to detect the physical settingaround system 100. In some examples, image sensor(s) 108 include a firstimage sensor and a second image sensor. The first image sensor and thesecond image sensor are optionally configured to capture images ofphysical elements in the physical setting from two distinctperspectives. In some examples, system 100 uses image sensor(s) 108 toreceive user inputs, such as hand gestures. In some examples, system 100uses image sensor(s) 108 to detect the position and orientation ofsystem 100 and/or display(s) 120 in the physical setting. For example,system 100 uses image sensor(s) 108 to track the position andorientation of display(s) 120 relative to one or more fixed elements inthe physical setting.

In some examples, system 100 includes microphones(s) 112. System 100uses microphone(s) 112 to detect sound from the user and/or the physicalsetting of the user. In some examples, microphone(s) 112 includes anarray of microphones (including a plurality of microphones) thatoptionally operate in tandem, such as to identify ambient noise or tolocate the source of sound in space of the physical setting.

System 100 includes orientation sensor(s) 110 for detecting orientationand/or movement of system 100 and/or display(s) 120. For example, system100 uses orientation sensor(s) 110 to track changes in the positionand/or orientation of system 100 and/or display(s) 120, such as withrespect to physical elements in the physical setting. Orientationsensor(s) 110 optionally include one or more gyroscopes and/or one ormore accelerometers.

With reference now to FIGS. 2A-8 , exemplary techniques for transferringa virtual object in an enhanced reality setting are described.

FIGS. 2A-2D depict an exemplary transfer of a virtual object in anenhanced reality setting 200 according to an embodiment. Enhancedreality setting 200 may include a first avatar 202 and a second avatar204, as shown in FIG. 2A. First avatar 202 may correspond to an avatarassociated with a first user, and second avatar 204 may correspond to anavatar associated with a second user. In some embodiments, the firstavatar 202 may be controlled by the first user and the second avatar 204may be controlled by the second user.

In some embodiments, first avatar 202 is associated with a virtualobject 206. The virtual object 206 may follow movement of the firstavatar 202. For example, a virtual object following movement of anavatar may include the virtual object displayed as being controlled byan avatar. In some embodiments, a virtual object following movement ofan avatar includes the virtual object displayed as being held by one ormore hands of the avatar, or being displayed proximate to the one ormore hands of the avatar. In some embodiments, a virtual objectfollowing movement of an avatar may include the virtual object beingdisplayed as proximate to an avatar, such as above the avatar, in frontof the avatar, behind the avatar, or any other location proximate to theavatar.

In some embodiments, the virtual object 206 is transferred betweenavatars. A user associated with the first avatar 202, for instance, mayrequest transfer of virtual object 206. By way of example, requestingtransfer of virtual object 206 may include activating virtual object206. Requesting transfer of virtual object 206 may include requestingtransfer of the virtual object 206 to another avatar or anotherlocation. For example, with reference to FIG. 2B, the virtual object 206may be transferred from the first avatar 202 to the second avatar 204.The avatar intended to receive the virtual object may be referred to asa transferee avatar, and the avatar of which the virtual objectinitially follows movement may be referred to as a transferor avatar. Insome embodiments, transfer of a virtual object may be requested by thetransferee avatar. For example, if a user associated with an avatarwishes to obtain a virtual object currently following movement ofanother avatar, the user may request transfer of the object in order toobtain the object.

In some embodiments, the first user (associated with avatar 202) mayactivate virtual object 206 based on one or more techniques such as gazedirection, gaze depth, one or more button presses on a controller, handgesture, or any combination thereof. For example, a user may utilize acontroller configured to receive inputs via a button, scroll wheel,knob, keyboard, trigger, joystick, or other touch-sensitive surface(e.g., a touchpad or touch-sensitive display). In some embodiments, acontroller may be connected via wireless or wired connection. Acontroller input may include a press of a button, a rotation of a scrollwheel, a rotation of a knob, a press of a button on a keyboard, acontact or gesture (e.g., tap or swipe) on a touch-sensitive surface, apull of a trigger, or a movement of a joystick, for example.

In some embodiments, activating virtual object 206 includes applyingfocus on virtual object 206. In some embodiments, an indication isprovided to indicate that virtual object 206 has been activated. Theindication may include an audio output (e.g., a beep), a visualindication (e.g., outlining or highlighting the activated virtualobject), and/or haptic output. Optionally, virtual object 206 remainsactivated for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., focus is maintainedon virtual object 206 for the predetermined amount of time) after whichthe virtual object is no longer activated. Virtual object 206 may remainactivated until a deactivation input is received. In some embodiments,the deactivation input is the same input as the input corresponding tothe activation of virtual object 206. In some embodiments, thedeactivation input is a different input than the input corresponding tothe activation of virtual object 206. The deactivation input may furtherincludes an eye gesture, a body gesture, a voice input, a controllerinput, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, a set of one or more virtual object transfercriteria must be satisfied in order to transfer a virtual object, suchas virtual object 206. For example, in order to transfer the virtualobject 206 from the first avatar 202 to the second avatar 204, a set ofone or more virtual object transfer criteria must be satisfied, such asa set of one or more criteria related to avatar rank, user acceptanceparameters, and/or virtual object permissions. An avatar rank maycorrespond to one or more parameters indicating a relative status amongdifferent avatars within the enhanced reality setting. For example, whendetermining whether a set of one or more virtual object transfercriteria is satisfied based on avatar rank, one or more avatar ranks maybe compared prior to requesting transfer. Avatar rank comparison mayinclude determining whether the avatar requesting transfer has an avatarrank which is greater than and/or equal to the avatar intended toreceive the virtual object. Avatar ranks may include predefined ranks,such as ranks based on user attributes, recent user activities, or rankswhich are temporarily adjusted.

In some embodiments, determining whether a set of one or more virtualobject transfer criteria is satisfied may include verifying useracceptance parameters. User acceptance parameters may include parametersset by one or more users associated with one or more avatars of theenhanced reality setting. In the case of a transfer requested by atransferor avatar, for example, a user associated with a correspondingtransferee avatar may set parameters to automatically accept or rejecttransfer of virtual objects of a specific type, virtual objectssatisfying a specific object value, and/or virtual objects havingspecific object attributes. For instance, a transferee avatar may setparameters to automatically accept items having a high currency value(e.g., environment-specific currency or real world currency), and/or mayset parameters to automatically reject items of a specific type, such asitems that are not appropriate for specific users (e.g., children). Inthe case of a transfer requested by a transferee avatar, for example, auser associated with a corresponding transferor avatar may setparameters to automatically release or prevent release of virtualobjects of a specific type, virtual objects satisfying a specific objectvalue, and/or virtual objects having specific object attributes.

In some embodiments, determining whether a set of one or more virtualobject transfer criteria is satisfied may include verifying virtualobject permissions. Virtual object permissions may include parametersindicating whether an avatar is permitted to transfer or permitted toreceive a particular virtual object. For example, a virtual objectpermission may include a parameter indicating the virtual object isowned by an avatar, and may further indicate that all other avatars maynot request transfer of the virtual object or may not otherwise controlthe virtual object. As another example, a virtual object permission mayinclude a parameter indicating that the virtual object is a “neutral”object. A “neutral” object may be a virtual object that is not owned byany avatar, and may further indicate that any avatar may requesttransfer of the virtual object or may control the virtual object. Forinstance, a transferor avatar may be in control of a virtual object,although may not own the virtual object. In this case, a transfereeavatar may request transfer of the “neutral” object from the transferoravatar.

With reference to FIG. 2B, the virtual object 206 may be transferredfrom first avatar 202 to second avatar 204. Transferring the virtualobject between avatars may include displaying movement, such as movement208, of the virtual object away from a transferor avatar and towards atransferee avatar. In some embodiments, displaying movement of thevirtual object may include determining whether to display a reduction inthe size of the virtual object so as to avoid obstruction of one or morefields of view, as described in further detail herein. For example, areduction in the size of the virtual object may be displayed so as toavoid obstruction of field of view 210 and/or field of view 212. Fieldof view 210 may correspond to the view of a first user associated withfirst avatar 202. Field of view 212 may correspond to the view of asecond user associated with second avatar 204. Determining whether todisplay a reduction in the size of the virtual object may includedetermining whether a size of the virtual object satisfies a set of oneor more size criteria, as described further with respect to FIGS. 3A-7G.For example, determining whether a size of the virtual object 206satisfies a set of one or more size criteria may include determiningwhether movement of virtual object 206 along path 208 obstructs eitherfield of view 210 or field of view 212.

As used in herein, reducing the size of a virtual object refers toreducing the apparent or perceived size of the virtual object. As anexample, displaying movement of a virtual object may include forgoingreducing the size of the virtual object, and displaying the virtualobject as moving away from an avatar associated with a user's field ofview. In this example, analogous to that of an object moving away from auser in reality, displaying movement of the virtual object without sizereduction may still result in the virtual object appearing smaller to auser as the object moves further away from the avatar associated withthe user. As another example, displaying movement of a virtual objectmay include reducing the size of the virtual object, and displaying thevirtual object as moving towards an avatar associated with a field ofview of the user. In this example, in contrast to that of an objectmoving towards a user in reality, displaying movement of the virtualobject with size reduction may result in the virtual object appearingsmaller to a user even though the object is moving towards the avatarassociated with the user.

In accordance with a determination that a field of view (such as fieldof view 210 or field of view 212) is not obstructed, movement of thevirtual object 206 is displayed without reducing the size of virtualobject 206. For example, the apparent size of the virtual object ismaintained as the virtual object moves along path 208. Referring to FIG.2C, movement 208 of virtual object 206 may be displayed by depictingvirtual object 206 moving away from first avatar 202 and toward secondavatar 204. Referring to FIG. 2D, completion of the transfer of virtualobject 206 from first avatar 202 to second avatar 204 may be depicted bydisplaying virtual object 206 as proximate to second avatar 204.Thereafter, the virtual object 206 is displayed as following movement ofthe second avatar 204, such as being controlled by the second avatar204, for example. In some embodiments, virtual object 206 followingmovement of the second avatar 204 includes the virtual object 206displayed as being held by one or more hands of the second avatar 204,or being displayed proximate to the one or more hands of the secondavatar 204. Virtual object 206 following movement of second avatar 202may include the virtual object 206 being displayed within one or morehands of the second avatar 204, or otherwise being displayed proximateto the one or more hands of the second avatar 204.

FIGS. 3A-3D depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting 300 from the perspective of a transferor according to anembodiment. The virtual object transfer depicted in FIGS. 3A-3D maycorrespond to the virtual object transfer depicted in FIGS. 2A-2D.Referring to FIG. 3A, a user perspective is depicted, including a fieldof view 310 of a user. Field of view 310 may correspond to the view of auser associated with a transferor avatar, such as a view of enhancedreality setting 300. For example, at least a portion of a first avatar302 is displayed within field of view 310, such as a hand of a firstavatar 302. A second avatar 304 is displayed, within field of view 310,at a distance from the first avatar 302. First avatar 302 may beassociated with a virtual object 306, such that virtual object 306follows movement of the first avatar 302.

Referring to FIG. 3B, a first user associated with first avatar 302 mayrequest a transfer of virtual object 306. The request to transfervirtual object 306 may cause display of one or more outputs to indicatethe request to transfer the virtual object 306. For example, visualfeedback within the enhanced reality setting may be displayed (notdepicted), for instance proximate to the virtual object 306, in order toindicate that first avatar 302 is requesting transfer of the virtualobject 306. In some embodiments, visual feedback 314 may be visiblewithin field of view 310 of the user associated with first avatar 302, afield of view of a user associated with second avatar 304, and/or anyfields of view of users associated with other avatars within theenhanced reality setting. Other types of feedback may be output toindicate the request to transfer the virtual object. Such feedback maybe output instead of or in addition to visual feedback. For example,audible feedback may be output through one or more speakers, such asspeaker(s) 118. As another example, haptic feedback may be provided,such as one or more vibrations on a wearable HUD device, one or morehandheld devices of a user, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 3C, after the transfer has been requested, movement ofvirtual object 306 may be displayed, for example, in accordance with adetermination that a set of one or more virtual object transfer criteriais satisfied. Virtual object 306 may be displayed as moving along path308 within field of view 310. For example, virtual object 306 may bedisplayed as moving away from first avatar 302 and towards second avatar304 along path 308. In some embodiments, displaying movement of thevirtual object may include determining whether to display a reduction inthe size of the virtual object so as to avoid obstruction of one or morefields of view. For example, a reduction in the size of the virtualobject may be displayed so as to avoid obstruction of field of view 310associated with first avatar 302, and/or a field of view associated withsecond avatar 304. In the event that neither field of view 310 nor fieldof view 312 is obstructed, movement of the virtual object is displayedwithout reducing the size of the virtual object.

In some embodiments, a speed of movement of virtual object 306 may bebased on one or more attributes associated with virtual object 306. Forexample, a virtual object of a larger size may be associated with aslower speed of movement. A virtual object of a smaller size may beassociated with a faster speed of movement. In some embodiments,displaying movement of the virtual object may include displaying animmediate transfer from first avatar 302 to second avatar 304, such thatno movement is displayed along path 308. For example, an immediatetransfer of virtual object 306 between avatars may be displayed withintwo frames of animation, such that the first frame of animation displaysthe virtual object proximate to first avatar 302, and the second frameof animation displays the virtual object proximate to second avatar 304.

Referring to FIG. 3D, completion of the transfer of virtual object 306from first avatar 302 to second avatar 304 may be depicted within fieldof view 310 by displaying virtual object 306 as following movement ofsecond avatar 304. For example, virtual object 306 following movement ofsecond avatar 304 may include virtual object 306 displayed as beingcontrolled by second avatar 304. In some embodiments, virtual object 306following movement of second avatar 304 may include the virtual object306 being displayed as proximate to second avatar 304, such as abovesecond avatar 304, in front of second avatar 304, behind second avatar304, or any other location proximate to second avatar 304.

FIGS. 4A-4F depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting 400 using virtual object size reduction according to anembodiment. Enhanced reality setting 400 may include a first avatar 402,a second avatar 404, and a virtual object 406. As shown in FIG. 4A,virtual object 406 may initially not follow movement of any avatar, suchthat the virtual object 406 is not being controlled by any avatar. Forexample, virtual object 406 may initially not follow movement of eitherfirst avatar 402 or second avatar 404. Referring now to FIG. 4B, firstavatar 402 may activate virtual object 406. For example, a first userassociated with first avatar 402 may interact with one or more inputs inorder to cause first avatar 402 to activate virtual object 406.Activation of virtual object 406 may include controlling virtual object406, such that virtual object 406 follows movement of first avatar 402.Activation of virtual object 406 may be facilitated by a user associatedwith first avatar 402, for example, by the user performing one or moretechniques such as gaze direction, gaze depth, one or more buttonpresses on a controller, hand gesture, or a combination thereof.

Field of view 410 may correspond to the view of a first user associatedwith first avatar 402. Upon activation of virtual object 406 by firstavatar 402, virtual object 406 may be displayed as moving toward firstavatar 402. Displaying movement of virtual object 406 towards firstavatar 402 may include determining whether to reduce the size of thevirtual object so as to avoid obstruction of field of view 410associated with first avatar 402, as discussed in more detail withrespect to FIGS. 6A-7G. For example, a determination is made whether asize of virtual object 406 satisfies a set of one or more size criteriain order to determine whether to display a reduction in the size ofvirtual object 406. In some embodiments, determining whether to displaya reduction in the size of a virtual object is performed so as to avoidobstruction of field of view 410 associated with first avatar 402. Inaccordance with a determination that a size of virtual object 406 doesnot satisfy the set of one or more size criteria, a reduction in thesize of the virtual object 406 may be foregone.

In response to virtual object 406 being displayed as moving toward firstavatar 402, virtual object 406 may be displayed as following movement offirst avatar 402. For example, virtual object 406 displayed as followingmovement of first avatar 402 may include virtual object 406 displayed asbeing controlled by first avatar 402. In some embodiments, virtualobject 406 displayed as following movement of first avatar 402 mayinclude virtual object 406 displayed as proximate to first avatar 402 asdiscussed herein. Once virtual object 406 follows movement of firstavatar 402, a request to transfer virtual object 406 may be received.For example, a user associated with first avatar 402 may requesttransfer of virtual object 406 to second avatar 404.

With reference to FIG. 4C, in accordance with the request to transfervirtual object 406, a determination is made as to whether a set of oneor more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied, for instancebased on avatar rank, user acceptance, and/or virtual objectpermissions, as discussed herein. Movement of the virtual object may bedisplayed in accordance with a determination that the set of one or morevirtual object transfer criteria is satisfied. For example, movement ofvirtual object 406 away from first avatar 402 and towards second avatar404 may be displayed. Movement may occur along path 408, for example.

Displaying movement of the virtual object may include determiningwhether to display a reduction in the size of the virtual object so asto avoid obstruction of one or more fields of view. For example, areduction in the size of the virtual object may be displayed so as toavoid obstruction of field of view 412. Field of view 412 may correspondto the view of a transferee. For example, field of view 412 maycorrespond to a field of view of a second user associated with secondavatar 404. Determining whether to display a reduction in the size ofthe virtual object may include determining whether a size of the virtualobject satisfies a set of one or more size criteria. For example,determining whether a size of the virtual object 406 satisfies a set ofone or more size criteria may include determining whether movement ofvirtual object 406 obstructs field of view 412.

As shown in FIG. 4C, displaying movement of virtual object 406 may causeobstruction of field of view 412 such that a second user associated withsecond avatar 404 is unable or substantially unable to view the enhancedreality setting. For example, virtual object 406 may obstruct field ofview 412 entirely, such that the second user is unable to view anyportion of the enhanced reality setting. In some embodiments, virtualobject 406 may obstruct at least a threshold percentage of the field ofview 412, such as 90% or 50% of the field of view. Obstruction of thefield of view 412 may cause the second user to be unable to determine aframe of reference within the enhanced reality setting, and in turn,cause the second user to become disoriented based on the obstructedfield of view 412. Obstruction of field of view 412 may negativelyimpact the user experience associated with the enhanced reality setting,such that continuity with the experience of the enhanced reality settingis interrupted. Accordingly, determining whether a size of the virtualobject satisfies a set of one or more size criteria may includedetermining whether a threshold percentage of a field of view isobstructed. For example, if at least a threshold percentage of 90% of afield of view is obstructed, a determination is made that a size of thevirtual object satisfies a set of one or more size criteria. As anotherexample, if at least a threshold percentage of 50% of a field of view isobstructed, a determination is made that a size of the virtual objectsatisfies a set of one or more size criteria.

FIGS. 4D-4E illustrate an alternative scenario to FIG. 4C, includingdisplaying a reduction in the apparent size of virtual object 406. Forexample, the apparent size of virtual object 406 may correspond to thesize of virtual object 406 as perceived via one or more fields of view,such as field of view 412. In some embodiments, in accordance with adetermination that displaying movement of virtual object 406 causesand/or may cause obstruction of field of view 412, as discussed withrespect to FIG. 4C, a reduction in the size of the virtual object 406 isdisplayed. In some embodiments, the reduction in the size of the virtualobject 406 is displayed such that the displayed reduction in size isvisible to all users having a field of view including the virtual object406. For example, since virtual object 406 is visible to both a firstuser associated with first avatar 402 and a second user associated withsecond avatar 404, the display in reduction of size of virtual object406 may be visible within a field of view associated with the firstuser, and the field of view 412 associated with the second user. In someembodiments, the reduction in the size of the virtual object 406 isdisplayed such that the displayed reduction in size is only visible tousers having a field of view that would be obstructed by movement ofvirtual object 406. For example, if displaying movement of virtualobject 406 without displaying size reduction will only cause obstructionof field of view 412 (e.g., no other fields of view are obstructedexcept field of view 412), the reduction of size of virtual object 406may be displayed only with respect to field of view 412.

Referring to FIG. 4E, movement of virtual object 406 may be displayedalong path 408 towards second avatar 404. In some embodiments,displaying a reduction in the size of the virtual object 406 mayincluding displaying the reduction at the beginning of displayingmovement of virtual object along path 408, such that the size of virtualobject 406 is displayed as reduced once the virtual object beginsmovement along path 408. In some embodiments, displaying a reduction inthe size of the virtual object 406 may include displaying the reductionwhile displaying movement of virtual object along path 408, such thatthe size of virtual object 406 is reduced as virtual object moves alongpath 408. As shown in FIG. 4E, displaying a reduction in the size ofvirtual object 406 may result in the field of view 412 not beingobstructed by movement of virtual object 406 toward second avatar 404.For example, the second user associated with second avatar 404 may beable to view the enhanced reality setting and have sufficient view ofthe enhanced reality setting to determine a frame of reference withinthe enhanced reality setting upon transfer of the virtual object. As aresult, the second user may not become disoriented based on thedisplayed movement of the virtual object 406 and reduction in the sizeof the virtual object 406, such that continuity with the second user'sexperience of the enhanced reality setting is maintained.

Referring to FIG. 4F, in response to displaying movement of the virtualobject 406 away from the first avatar 402 and towards the second avatar404, completion of the transfer of virtual object 406 from first avatar402 to second avatar 404 may be depicted by displaying virtual object406 as following movement of second avatar 404. For example, virtualobject 406 following movement of the second avatar 404 may include thevirtual object 406 displayed as being controlled by the second avatar404. In some embodiments, virtual object 406 displayed as followingmovement of second avatar 404 may include virtual object 406 displayedas proximate to first avatar 402 as discussed herein. In someembodiments, completion of the transfer of virtual object 406 from firstavatar 402 to second avatar 404 may include displaying an enlargement ofthe size of virtual object 406 to an original size. For example, anoriginal size of the virtual object 406 may correspond to the size ofthe virtual object 406 prior to displaying a reduction in the size ofthe virtual object 406.

FIGS. 5A-5F depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting 500 using virtual object size reduction from the perspective ofa transferee according to an embodiment. The virtual object transferdepicted in FIGS. 5A-5F may correspond to the virtual object transferdepicted in FIGS. 4A-4F. Referring to FIG. 5A, a user perspective isdepicted, including a field of view 512 of a user. Field of view 512 maycorrespond to the view of a user associated with a transferee avatar,such as second avatar 404 depicted in FIGS. 4A-4F. The view maycorrespond to the view of enhanced reality setting 500. For example, atleast a portion of a second avatar 504 is displayed within field of view512, such as a hand of a second avatar 504. A first avatar 502 isdisplayed, within field of view 512, at a distance from the secondavatar 504. First avatar 502 may be associated with a virtual object506, such that virtual object 506 follows movement of the first avatar502.

Referring to FIG. 5B, a first user associated with first avatar 502 mayrequest a transfer of the virtual object 506. The request to transfervirtual object 506 may cause display of one or more outputs to indicatethe request to transfer the virtual object 506. For example, visualfeedback 514 within the enhanced reality setting may be displayed, suchas proximate to the virtual object 506, in order to indicate that firstavatar 502 is requesting transfer of the virtual object. Visual feedback514 may be visible within field of view 512 of the user associated withsecond avatar 504, a field of view of a user associated with firstavatar 502, and/or any fields of view of users associated with otheravatars within the enhanced reality setting. Other types of feedback maybe output to indicate the request to transfer the virtual object insteadof or in addition to visual feedback.

Referring to FIG. 5C, movement of virtual object 506 may be displayed,for example, in accordance with a determination that a set of one ormore virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied. Virtual object 506may be displayed as moving along path 508 within field of view 512. Forexample, virtual object 506 may be displayed as moving away from firstavatar 502 and towards second avatar 504 along path 508. Displayingmovement of the virtual object may include determining whether todisplay a reduction in the size of the virtual object 506 so as to avoidobstruction of one or more fields of view. Referring now to FIG. 5D,displaying movement of virtual object 506 may cause obstruction of fieldof view 512 such that a second user associated with second avatar 504 isunable or substantially unable to view the enhanced reality setting. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5D, virtual object 506 may obstruct field ofview 512 entirely, such that the second user is unable to view anyportion of the enhanced reality setting. In some embodiments, virtualobject 506 may obstruct a specific percentage of the field of view 512,or may obstruct a specific area of the field of view 512. Obstruction ofthe field of view 512 may cause the second user to be unable todetermine a frame of reference within the enhanced reality setting, andin turn, cause the second user to become disoriented based on the fieldof view 512. As shown in FIG. 5D, since virtual object 506 is displayedas obstructing the entirety of field of view 512, a user associated withfield of view 512 is unable to view the enhanced reality setting. Thisnegatively impacts user experience by removing any reference point thatthe user would utilize in order to maintain a sense of orientationwithin the environment.

FIGS. 5E-5F illustrate an alternative scenario to FIGS. 5C-5D, includingdisplaying a reduction in the apparent size of the virtual object 506.For example, in accordance with a determination that displaying movementof virtual object 506 may cause obstruction of field of view 512, asdiscussed with respect to FIG. 5F, a reduction in the size of thevirtual object 506 is displayed. In some embodiments, the reduction inthe size of the virtual object 506 is displayed prior to virtual object506 being displayed as moving away from first avatar 502. In someembodiments, the reduction in the size of virtual object 506 isdisplayed while virtual object 506 is moving towards second avatar 504.For example, once the position of the virtual object 506 becomesproximate to second avatar 504, the size of virtual object 506 isdisplayed as being reduced.

Referring to FIG. 5F, in response to displaying movement of the virtualobject 506 away from the first avatar 502 and towards the second avatar504, completion of the transfer of virtual object 506 from first avatar502 to second avatar 504 may be depicted. For example, as shown in FIG.5F, the virtual object 506 may be displayed as following movement ofsecond avatar 504. In some embodiments, display of the virtual object asfollowing movement of second avatar 504 may include maintaining thedisplay of the virtual object 506 with the reduction in size anddisplayed proximate to the second avatar 504. In some embodiments,completion of the transfer of virtual object 506 from first avatar 502to second avatar 504 may include displaying an enlargement of the sizeof virtual object 506 to an original size. For example, an original sizeof the virtual object 506 may correspond to the displayed size of thevirtual object 506 prior to displaying a reduction in the size of thevirtual object 506.

FIGS. 6A-6G depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting 600 using virtual object size reduction according to anembodiment. Enhanced reality setting 600 may include a first avatar 602,a second avatar 604, and a virtual object 606. As shown in FIG. 6A,virtual object 606 may initially not follow movement of any avatar, suchthat the virtual object 606 is not being controlled by any avatar. Forexample, virtual object 606 may initially not follow movement of eitherfirst avatar 602 or second avatar 604. In some embodiments, virtualobject 606 may be displayed at a distance from one or more avatars. Insome embodiments, virtual object 606 may only be displayed as visible toa specific user associated with an avatar. For example, a virtual objectmay be displayed within an expandable and/or collapsible inventoryassociated with an avatar (not depicted). For instance, a userassociated with an avatar having a corresponding inventory may activatea virtual object from the inventory in order to take an action on theobject, such as transferring the virtual object to another avatar,transferring the virtual object to another inventory, and/ortransferring the virtual objet to another location within the enhancedreality setting, for example.

Referring now to FIG. 6B, first avatar 602 may activate virtual object606. For example, a first user associated with first avatar 602 mayinteract with one or more inputs in order to cause first avatar 602 toactivate virtual object 606. Upon activation of virtual object 606 byfirst avatar 602, virtual object 606 may be displayed as moving towardfirst avatar 602. For example, one or more visual outputs 616 may bedisplayed within the enhanced reality setting to depict virtual object606 as moving towards user 602. A user associated with first avatar 602may wish to transfer object 606 to second avatar 604. Accordingly, theuser may activate virtual object 606 in order to request transfer of thevirtual object 606 to second avatar 604. In response to activation ofvirtual object 606, virtual object 606 may be displayed as followingmovement of first avatar 602.

Referring now to FIG. 6C, displaying movement of virtual object 606towards first avatar 602, such that virtual object 606 follows movementof first avatar 602, may include determining whether to reduce the sizeof the virtual object so as to avoid obstruction of field of view 610associated with first avatar 602 or field of view 612 associated withsecond avatar 604. For example, determining whether to display areduction in the size of the virtual object so as to avoid obstructionof field of view 610 associated with first avatar 602 may includedetermining whether a size of virtual object 606 satisfies a set of oneor more size criteria. In accordance with a determination that a size ofvirtual object 606 satisfies the set of one or more size criteria, areduction in the size of the virtual object is displayed. In someembodiments, activation of the virtual object 606 by a user associatedwith first avatar 602 may include a user activating an object thatcauses obstruction of the field of view 610 associated with the user.For example, a large object, such as virtual object 606, may obstructthe field of view 610 based on the object following movement of firstavatar 602. By being displayed proximate to first avatar 602, thevirtual object 606 may obstruct the field of view 610 based on the sizeof the virtual object even without any transfer of the virtual object606 to another avatar. In some embodiments, activation of the virtualobject 606 by a user associated with first avatar 602 may causeobstruction of a field of view 612 associated with second avatar 604.For example, by being displayed proximate to first avatar 602, thevirtual object 606 may obstruct the field of view 610 based on the largesize of the virtual object even without any transfer of the virtualobject 606.

FIGS. 6D-6G illustrate an alternative scenario to FIG. 6C, includingdisplaying a reduction in the apparent size of the virtual object 606.For example, in response to activation of virtual object 606 by a userassociated with first avatar 602, virtual object 606 may be displayed asfollowing movement of first avatar 602. As described above, displaying avirtual object as following movement of an avatar may cause obstructionof a user's field of view such that the user associated with the avataris unable or substantially unable to view the enhanced reality setting.In accordance with a determination that displaying movement of virtualobject 606 may cause obstruction of field of view 610, a reduction inthe size of the virtual object 606 is displayed. For example, uponactivation of the virtual object 606 by a first user associated withfirst avatar 602, a reduction in the size of the virtual object 606 maybe displayed. In some embodiments, the reduction in the size of thevirtual object 606 is displayed prior to the virtual object 606 beingdisplayed as moving towards first avatar 602 and following movementfirst avatar 602. In some embodiments, the reduction in the size of thevirtual object 606 is displayed while the virtual object 606 beingdisplayed as moving towards first avatar 602 and following movementfirst avatar 602.

Referring to FIG. 6E-6G, in accordance with displaying a reduction inthe size of the virtual object 606 upon activation of virtual object 606by a first user associated with first avatar 602, further movement ofthe virtual object may be displayed. For example, in response to therequest to transfer virtual object 606, virtual object 606 may bedisplayed as moving away from first avatar 602 and towards second avatar604 along path 608. Completion of the transfer of virtual object 606from first avatar 602 to second avatar 604 may be depicted by displayingvirtual object 606 as following movement of second avatar 604, forexample, as shown in FIG. 6F. Completion of the transfer of virtualobject 606 from first avatar 602 to second avatar 604 may includedisplaying an enlargement of the size of virtual object 606 to anoriginal size, for example, as shown in FIG. 6G. In some embodiments, anoriginal size of the virtual object 606 may correspond to the displayedsize of the virtual object 606 prior to activation of the virtual objectby a first user associated with first avatar 602, such as an originalsize of virtual object 606 as depicted in FIG. 6A.

FIGS. 7A-7G depict a transfer of a virtual object in an enhanced realitysetting 700 using virtual object size reduction from the perspective ofa transferor according to an embodiment. The virtual object transferdepicted in FIGS. 7A-7G may correspond to the virtual object transferdepicted in FIGS. 6A-6G. Referring to FIG. 7A, a user perspective isdepicted, including a field of view 710 of a user. Field of view 710 maycorrespond to a view of a user associated with a transferor avatar, suchas first avatar 602 depicted in FIGS. 6A-6G. The view may correspond toa view of enhanced reality setting 700. For example, at least a portionof a first avatar 702 is displayed within field of view 710, such as ahand of a first avatar 702. A second avatar 704 is displayed, withinfield of view 710, at a distance from the first avatar 702. Virtualobject 706 may be displayed within field of view 710. As shown in FIG.7A, virtual object 706 may initially not follow movement of any avatar,such that the virtual object 706 is not being controlled by any avatar.For example, virtual object 706 may initially not follow movement ofeither first avatar 702 or second avatar 704.

Referring to FIG. 7B, a first user associated with avatar 702 mayactivate virtual object 706, for example, in order to request a transferof the virtual object 706. In some embodiments, a first user mayactivate the virtual object for reasons other than to request a transferof the virtual object, such as to take control of the virtual object andmove to a new location with virtual object 706. In some embodiments, theactivation of a virtual object may cause display of one or more outputsto indicate the activation of virtual object. For example, visualfeedback 714 within the enhanced reality setting may be displayed, suchas proximate to the virtual object 706, in order to indicate that firstavatar 702 is activating or attempting to activate the virtual object706. Visual feedback 714 may be visible within field of view 710 of theuser associated with first avatar 702, a field of view of a userassociated with second avatar 704, and/or any fields of view of usersassociated with other avatars within the enhanced reality setting. Othertypes of feedback may be output to indicate the request to transfer thevirtual object instead of or in addition to visual feedback.

Referring now to FIG. 7C, displaying movement of virtual object 706towards first avatar 702, such that virtual object 706 follows movementof first avatar 702, may include determining whether to reduce the sizeof the virtual object so as to avoid obstruction of field of view 710associated with first avatar 702. In some embodiments, activation of thevirtual object 706 by a user associated with first avatar 702 mayinclude a user activating an object that causes obstruction of the fieldof view 710 associated with the user. A large object, such as virtualobject 706, may obstruct the entirety of the field of view 710 based onthe object following movement of first avatar 702, as shown for examplein FIG. 7C. By being displayed proximate to first avatar 702, thevirtual object 706 may obstruct the field of view 710 based on the sizeof the virtual object even without any transfer of the virtual object706.

FIGS. 7D-7G illustrate an alternative scenario to FIG. 7C, includingdisplaying a reduction in the apparent size of the virtual object 706.For example, in accordance with a determination that displaying movementof virtual object 706 towards first avatar 702 may cause obstruction offield of view 710, as discussed with respect to FIG. 7C, a reduction inthe size of the virtual object 706 is displayed. In some embodiments,the reduction in the size of the virtual object 706 is displayed priorto virtual object 706 being displayed as moving towards first avatar702. In some embodiments, the reduction in the size of virtual object706 is displayed while virtual object 706 is moving towards first avatar702. For example, once the position of the virtual object 706, asdisplayed in the enhanced reality setting, becomes proximate to firstavatar 702, the size of virtual object 706 is displayed as beingreduced.

Referring to FIG. 7E, the virtual object may be displayed with reducedsize and may be displayed as following movement of first avatar 702. Asdiscussed above, displaying virtual object 706 as following movement offirst avatar 702 may occur as a result of a first user associated withavatar 702 activating virtual object 706 in order to request a transferof virtual object 706. In some embodiments, a user may activate thevirtual object for reasons other than to initiate a request to transferthe virtual object, such as to take control of the virtual object andmove to a new location with the virtual object. Referring to FIGS.7E-7F, when a first user associated with avatar 702 activates virtualobject 706 in order to initiate a request to transfer the virtual object706, movement of virtual object may be displayed as moving away fromfirst avatar 702 and towards second avatar 704. For example, virtualobject 706 may already be displayed as having a reduced size whenvirtual object 706 is displayed as following movement of first avatar702, such that when virtual object 706 is displayed as moving towardssecond avatar 704 along path 708, virtual object 706 is displayed asmaintaining the reduced size.

Referring to FIG. 7G, in response to displaying movement of the virtualobject 706 away from the first avatar 702 and towards the second avatar704, completion of the transfer of virtual object 706 from first avatar702 to second avatar 704 may be depicted. For example, as shown in FIG.7G, the virtual object 706 may be displayed as following movement ofsecond avatar 704. In some embodiments, display of the virtual object706 as following movement of second avatar 704 may include maintainingthe display of the virtual object 706 with the reduction in size anddisplayed proximate to the second avatar 704. In some embodiments,completion of the transfer of virtual object 706 from first avatar 702to second avatar 704 may include displaying an enlargement of the sizeof virtual object 706 to an original size. For example, an original sizeof the virtual object 706 may correspond to the displayed size of thevirtual object 706 prior to displaying a reduction in the size of thevirtual object 706, such as the size of virtual object 706 as depictedin FIG. 7A.

The embodiments discussed above with respect to FIGS. 2A-7G areexemplary and not intended to be limiting.

Referring to FIG. 8 , a flow chart of an exemplary process 800 fortransferring a virtual object with virtual object size reduction isdepicted. Process 800 can be performed using a user device (e.g., device100 a). For example, the user device may be a handheld mobile device ora head-mounted device. In some embodiments, process 800 is performedusing two or more electronic devices, such as a user device that iscommunicatively coupled to another device, such as a base device.Further, it should be appreciated that the display of the user devicecan be transparent or opaque. Process 800 can be applied, for example,to enhanced reality applications, such as virtual reality, augmentedreality, or mixed reality applications and to effects that includevisible features as well as non-visible features, such as audio, haptic,or the like. Although the blocks of process 800 are depicted in aparticular order, it should be appreciated that these blocks can beperformed in other orders. Furthermore, one or more blocks of process800 can be optional and/or additional blocks may be performed.

At block 802, a virtual object is displayed in an enhanced realitysetting. A request to transfer the virtual object is received at block804. In some embodiments, receiving the request to transfer the virtualobject includes determining that a gaze direction or gaze depthcorresponds to the virtual object, and receiving an input representinguser instruction to transfer the virtual object. In accordance with therequest to transfer the virtual object at block 804, a determination ismade at block 806 including determining whether a set of one or morevirtual object transfer criteria is satisfied. In some embodiments, therequest to transfer the virtual object at block 804 is initiated by auser associated with the avatar, wherein determining whether the set ofone or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied at block 806includes determining a first rank associated with the avatar and asecond rank associated with a second avatar, determining whether thefirst rank is greater than the second rank, and in accordance with adetermination that the first rank is greater than the second rank,determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteriais satisfied. In some embodiments, the request to transfer the virtualobject at block 804 is initiated by a user associated with a secondavatar different from the avatar, wherein determining whether the set ofone or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied at block 806includes determining a first rank associated with the avatar and asecond rank associated with the second avatar, determining whether thesecond rank is greater than the first rank, and in accordance with adetermination that the second rank is greater than the first rank,determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteriais satisfied.

In some embodiments, determining whether the set of one or more virtualobject transfer criteria is satisfied at block 806 includes determiningwhether the request to transfer the virtual object is accepted by auser, wherein in accordance with a determination that the request totransfer the virtual object is accepted by a user, determining that theset of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied, and inaccordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtualobject is not accepted by a user, determining that the set of one ormore virtual object transfer criteria is not satisfied. In someembodiments, determining whether the set of one or more virtual objecttransfer criteria is satisfied at step 806 includes determining whetherthe request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a userassociated with a second avatar, wherein in accordance with adetermination that the request to transfer the virtual object isinitiated by a user associated with a second avatar, a determination ismade whether the second avatar is permitted to receive the virtualobject, and in accordance with a determination that the second avatar ispermitted to receive the virtual object, a determination is made thatthe set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied.

In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that the set ofone or more virtual object transfer criteria is not satisfied at step808, an indication is displayed to indicate that transfer of the virtualobject is rejected. In some embodiments, in accordance with adetermination that the set of one or more virtual object transfercriteria is satisfied at block 808, movement of the virtual object awayfrom an avatar is displayed in the enhanced reality setting at block810. In some embodiments, displaying movement of the virtual objectincludes determining whether a size of the virtual object satisfies aset of one or more size criteria at block 812. In some embodiments,determining whether a size of the virtual object satisfies the set ofone or more size criteria includes displaying a field of view of avirtual interface, wherein the field of view corresponds to a userassociated with a second avatar, determining whether the virtual objectobstructs the field of view beyond a threshold, and in accordance with adetermination that the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyondthe threshold, determining that the size of the virtual object satisfiesthe set of one or more size criteria.

In some embodiments, determining whether the virtual object obstructsthe field of view beyond a threshold includes determining whetherdisplaying movement of the virtual object causes obstruction of thefield of view, and in accordance with a determination that displayingmovement of the virtual object causes obstruction of the field of view,determining that the virtual object obstructs the field of view. In someembodiments, determining whether the virtual object obstructs the fieldof view beyond a threshold includes determining whether a percentage ofthe field of view is obstructed beyond a threshold percentage of thefield of view, and in accordance with a determination that a percentageof the field of view is obstructed beyond the threshold percentage,determining that the virtual object obstructs the field of view. In someembodiments, determining whether the virtual object obstructs the fieldof view beyond a threshold includes determining whether a predefinedarea of the field of view is obstructed, and in accordance with adetermination that a predefined area of the field of view is obstructed,determining that the virtual object obstructs the field of view.

In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that the size ofthe virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria atblock 814, a reduction in the size of the virtual object is displayed atblock 816. In some embodiments, displaying a reduction in the size ofthe virtual object includes reducing the size of the virtual object to apredetermined size, and displaying the reduction in the size of thevirtual object based on the reduced size. In some embodiments,displaying a reduction in the size of the virtual object includesreducing the size of the virtual object to a predetermined percentage ofthe size, and displaying the reduction in the size of the virtual objectbased on the reduced size. In some embodiments, in accordance with adetermination that the size of the virtual object does not satisfy theset of one or more size criteria at block 814, displaying a reduction inthe size of the virtual object is displayed is foregone at block 818.

Executable instructions for performing the features of process 800described above are, optionally, included in a transitory ornon-transitory computer-readable storage medium or other computerprogram product configured for execution by one or more processors.

Various processes defined herein consider the option of obtaining andutilizing a user's personal information. For example, such personalinformation may be utilized in order to provide an improved privacyscreen on an electronic device. However, to the extent such personalinformation is collected, such information should be obtained with theuser's informed consent. As described herein, the user should haveknowledge of and control over the use of their personal information.

Personal information will be utilized by appropriate parties only forlegitimate and reasonable purposes. Those parties utilizing suchinformation will adhere to privacy policies and practices that are atleast in accordance with appropriate laws and regulations. In addition,such policies are to be well-established, user-accessible, andrecognized as in compliance with or above governmental/industrystandards. Moreover, these parties will not distribute, sell, orotherwise share such information outside of any reasonable andlegitimate purposes.

Users may, however, limit the degree to which such parties may access orotherwise obtain personal information. For instance, settings or otherpreferences may be adjusted such that users can decide whether theirpersonal information can be accessed by various entities. Furthermore,while some features defined herein are described in the context of usingpersonal information, various aspects of these features can beimplemented without the need to use such information. As an example, ifuser preferences, account names, and/or location history are gathered,this information can be obscured or otherwise generalized such that theinformation does not identify the respective user.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented forpurposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the scope of the claims to the precise formsdisclosed, and it should be understood that many modifications andvariations are possible in light of the above descriptions.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for: displaying, in an enhanced reality setting, a virtual object; receiving a request to transfer the virtual object; in accordance with the request, determining whether a set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied; and in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied: displaying, in the enhanced reality setting, movement of the virtual object away from an avatar, wherein displaying movement of the virtual object comprises: determining whether a perceived size of the virtual object satisfies a set of one or more size criteria; in accordance with a determination that the perceived size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria, displaying a reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object; and in accordance with a determination that the perceived size of the virtual object does not satisfy the set of one or more size criteria, forgoing displaying a reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a user associated with the avatar.
 3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein determining whether the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied comprises: determining a first rank associated with the avatar and a second rank associated with a second avatar; determining whether the first rank is greater than the second rank; and in accordance with a determination that the first rank is greater than the second rank, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a user associated with a second avatar different from the avatar.
 5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein determining whether the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied comprises: determining a first rank associated with the avatar and a second rank associated with the second avatar; determining whether the second rank is greater than the first rank; and in accordance with a determination that the second rank is greater than the first rank, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied.
 6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied comprises: determining whether the request to transfer the virtual object is accepted by a user; in accordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtual object is accepted by the user, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied; and in accordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtual object is not accepted by the user, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is not satisfied.
 7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied comprises: determining whether the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a user associated with a second avatar; in accordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by the user associated with the second avatar, determining whether the second avatar is permitted to receive the virtual object; and in accordance with a determination that the second avatar is permitted to receive the virtual object, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied.
 8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether the perceived size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria comprises: displaying a field of view of a virtual interface, wherein the field of view corresponds to a user associated with a second avatar; determining whether the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyond a threshold; and in accordance with a determination that the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyond the threshold, determining that the perceived size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria.
 9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein determining whether the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyond the threshold comprises: determining whether displaying movement of the virtual object causes obstruction of the field of view; and in accordance with a determination that displaying movement of the virtual object causes obstruction of the field of view, determining that the virtual object obstructs the field of view.
 10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein determining whether the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyond the threshold comprises: determining whether a percentage of the field of view is obstructed beyond a threshold percentage of the field of view; and in accordance with a determination that the percentage of the field of view is obstructed beyond the threshold percentage, determining that the virtual object obstructs the field of view.
 11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein determining whether the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyond the threshold comprises: determining whether a predefined area of the field of view is obstructed; and in accordance with a determination that the predefined area of the field of view is obstructed, determining that the virtual object obstructs the field of view.
 12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein displaying the reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object comprises: reducing the perceived size of the virtual object to a predetermined perceived size; and displaying the reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object based on the reduced perceived size.
 13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein displaying the reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object comprises: reducing the perceived size of the virtual object to a predetermined percentage of the perceived size; and displaying the reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object based on the reduced perceived size.
 14. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or more programs further including instructions for: in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is not satisfied: displaying an indication that transfer of the virtual object is rejected.
 15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to transfer the virtual object comprises: determining that a gaze direction or gaze depth corresponds to the virtual object; and receiving an input representing user instruction to transfer the virtual object.
 16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, the one or more programs including instructions for: displaying, in an enhanced reality setting, a virtual object; receiving a request to transfer the virtual object; in accordance with the request, determining whether a set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied; and in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied: displaying, in the enhanced reality setting, movement of the virtual object away from an avatar, wherein displaying movement of the virtual object comprises: determining whether a perceived size of the virtual object satisfies a set of one or more size criteria; in accordance with a determination that the perceived size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria, displaying a reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object; and in accordance with a determination that the perceived size of the virtual object does not satisfy the set of one or more size criteria, forgoing displaying a reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a user associated with the avatar.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a user associated with a second avatar different from the avatar.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied comprises: determining whether the request to transfer the virtual object is accepted by a user; in accordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtual object is accepted by the user, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied; and in accordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtual object is not accepted by the user, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is not satisfied.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether the perceived size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria comprises: displaying a field of view of a virtual interface, wherein the field of view corresponds to a user associated with a second avatar; determining whether the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyond a threshold; and in accordance with a determination that the virtual object obstructs the field of view beyond the threshold, determining that the perceived size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria.
 21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein receiving the request to transfer the virtual object comprises: determining that a gaze direction or gaze depth corresponds to the virtual object; and receiving an input representing user instruction to transfer the virtual object.
 22. A method comprising: displaying, in an enhanced reality setting, a virtual object; receiving a request to transfer the virtual object; in accordance with the request, determining whether a set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied; and in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied: displaying, in the enhanced reality setting, movement of the virtual object away from an avatar, wherein displaying movement of the virtual object comprises: determining whether a perceived size of the virtual object satisfies a set of one or more size criteria; in accordance with a determination that the perceived size of the virtual object satisfies the set of one or more size criteria, displaying a reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object; and in accordance with a determination that the perceived size of the virtual object does not satisfy the set of one or more size criteria, forgoing displaying a reduction in the perceived size of the virtual object.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a user associated with the avatar.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein the request to transfer the virtual object is initiated by a user associated with a second avatar different from the avatar.
 25. The method of claim 22, wherein determining whether the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied comprises: determining whether the request to transfer the virtual object is accepted by a user; in accordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtual object is accepted by the user, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is satisfied; and in accordance with a determination that the request to transfer the virtual object is not accepted by the user, determining that the set of one or more virtual object transfer criteria is not satisfied. 